CreCommland is a very busy place where students spit out tons of work every week. I'm sure the amount of brain energy one CreCommer uses in a week can be measured in thousands of kilojoules of energy (where 1 kJ = 1000 joules).
Before I get lost in the chemistry of this blog post, I'd like to make the point that CreComms shouldn't just sit on their talented butts the entire winter break. There are a variety of things a CreComm can do to stay on top of their CreComm game, keeping them fresh and ready to go for the semester to come. After all, this is summer break so don't completely shut off your brain!
Here are some tips you can do to be on your CreComm game:
1) Use the break to catch up on exercise. I'm a firm believer of keeping a healthy body would keep your mind (and soul) healthy in the long run. But it all starts with making the right decisions this holiday season. I'm not going to tell you to skip the gravy boat at your Christmas dinner but try not to eat excessively. Start the year right and maybe jump start your New Year's resolution of eating healthy. I know this is easier said than done but actively thinking about it is definitely a positive step towards reaching your goal.
2) Relax and do what makes you happy. As part of cooling down the machine (your brain) that powered you through the first semester of this school year, remember to spend some time doing the things that you've always wanted to do during the semester but didn't have to time to. Read a book, watch a movie, play video games, knit a sweater - whatever floats your boat. Use the time to recollect on the busy semester and think about how you conducted yourself through the hard times. What worked? What didn't work? What are some of the key learning points you took away from the semester? How can you improve yourself for the next semester? Do all this as you find your "inner zen" as some people might call it. This is the part where you get to do whatever you want but remember not to over indulge.
3) CreComm revisited. There's no better time to reorganize your notes and update your resume and portfolio than the time given to us during the winter break. I realize there are a lot of commitments during the holiday season but finding the time to do all this is the challenge I'm talking about. Remember, you used to be able to write a proposal, make a presentation, write an article, and blog all in the same week. I'm sure finding the time to leisurely work on your resume or portfolio wouldn't be as difficult. Hint: it requires less thinking!
It would also be wise to use the time during the winter break to update assignments and see where the work could be improved to make it a portfolio piece. For some people, this time period will be used up to work on their IPPs. Some people might finally have the opportunity to look for a part time or seasonal job to earn extra cash to help pay for tuition, supplies, etc. Some people are legitimately doing work here at the college even before students come back for second semester (the Projector editors). Dianne Livingston suggested to students taking her web design course next semester to practice on Dreamweaver so the skills we learned are kept fresh.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure that what you're doing has purpose. No sense doing it if your heart is not into it.
Of course, these are just suggestions on what to do over the winter break. I'm not not, by any means, telling students this is what they should do or worry about being on top of the CreComm program. I already know some people that wouldn't do anything at all during the winter break and I know when they come back they would be feeling refreshed and ready for another hard semester. All I ask is for you to have a plan and don't just waste the three weeks of break we have. It will fly by faster than you think!
